Kelp Gull

SCI Name:  Larus dominicanus
Protonym:  Larus dominicanus Verz.Doubl.Zool.Mus.Berlin p.82
Taxonomy:  Charadriiformes / Laridae / Larus
Taxonomy Code:  kelgul
Type Locality:  Coasts of Brazil.
Author:  Lichtenstein, MHC
Publish Year:  1823
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

LARUS
(Laridae; Ϯ Great Black-backed Gull L. marinus) L. larus  rapacious seabird, probably a gull  < Gr. λαρος laros  voracious seabird, perhaps a gull; the Great Black-backed Gull, the largest member of the Laridae, breeds only on sea coasts, where it is a true predator; "69. LARUS.  Rostrum edentulum, rectum, cultratum, apice declive: Mandibula inferior infra apicem gibba.  Nares lineares, antice latiores.   ...   Pulli primi anni plurumque in his grisei sunt; unde speciei multiplicatio." (Linnaeus 1758); "Larus Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 136. Type, by subsequent designation, Larus marinus Linné (Selby, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Types Aves, 1840, p. 48)" (Peters 1934, II, 313). Linnaeus's Larus comprised six species (L. tridactylus, L. canus, L. marinus, L. fuscus, L. Atricilla, L. parasiticus).
Synon. Adelarus, Atricilla, Blasipus, Bruchigavia, Caturates, Chroicocephalus, Cirrhocephala, Clupeilarus, Dominicanus, Einalia, Epitelarus, Gabianus, Gavia, Gavina, Gelastes, Glaucus, Hydropeleia, Ichthyaetus, Lambruschinia, Laroides, Lencus, Leucophaeus, Melagavia, Melanolarus, Microlarus, Misamichus, Ocyplanus, Pacificolarus, Plautus, Procellarus.

dominicanus
● Dominica, Lesser Antilles (syn. Butorides striata virescens, subsp. Myadestes genibarbis).
● Dominican, Jacobin, or Black Friars, in allusion to their black and white habits or robes (syn. Copsychus saularis (ex “Merle Dominiquain des Philippines” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 627, fig. 1, and “Dominican Thrush” of Latham 1783), Larus, Xolmis (ex "Pepoazá dominicana" of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 203).

Dominicanus
(Laridae; syn. Larus † Kelp Gull L. dominicanus) Specific name Larus dominicanus Lichtenstein, 1823; "II. Dominicanus.  Mantelmöve.  Der Rücken dunkelfarbig; Kopf und Hals im Sommer weiss, im Winter graubraun gefleckt.   2) marinus Linn.; maximus Brehm.   ...   3) pelagicus Anglorum; dominicanus Licht.; marinus Linn.   ...   4) vetula des Pariser Mus.; dominicanus Licht.; marinus Linn.   ...   5) vociferus Anglor.; dominicus Licht.; marinus Linn.   ...   6) fuscus Linn.; flavipes Meyer.   ...   7) fuscescens Licht.   ...   8) antipodus Gray.   ...   9) cachinnans Pallas." (Bruch 1853); "Dominicanus Bruch, Journ. Orn., 1, p. 100, 1853—type, by tautonymy, Larus dominicanus Lichtenstein." (Hellmayr and Conover, 1948, Cat. Birds Americas, Pt. I (3), p. 253).   
Var. Domenicanus.

SUBSPECIES

Kelp Gull (dominicanus)
SCI Name: Larus dominicanus dominicanus
dominicanus
● Dominica, Lesser Antilles (syn. Butorides striata virescens, subsp. Myadestes genibarbis).
● Dominican, Jacobin, or Black Friars, in allusion to their black and white habits or robes (syn. Copsychus saularis (ex “Merle Dominiquain des Philippines” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 627, fig. 1, and “Dominican Thrush” of Latham 1783), Larus, Xolmis (ex "Pepoazá dominicana" of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 203).

Kelp Gull (austrinus)
SCI Name: Larus dominicanus austrinus
austrina / austrinus
L. austrinus  southern  < auster, austri  south.

Kelp Gull (judithae)
SCI Name: Larus dominicanus judithae
judithae
Judith Jiguet (b. 1972) wife of French ornithologist Prof. Frédéric Jiguet (subsp. Larus dominicanus).

Kelp Gull (vetula)
SCI Name: Larus dominicanus vetula
vetula
L. vetula  little old woman  < vetulus  little old man  < dim. vetus, veteris  old, ancient.
● "52. CUCULUS.  ...  Vetula.  3. C. cauda cuneiformi, corpore subfusco: subtus testaceo, ciliis rubris.  Cuculus major. Sloan. jam. 2. p. 312. t. 258. f. 1, 2.  Cuculus major olivaceus, cauda longiore, ciliis rubris. Brown. jam. 476.  Picus major leucophæus s. canescens, pluviæ avis & Senex dictus. Raj. av. 182.  Habitat in Jamaica.  Voce clamosiore pluviam præsagit." (Linnaeus 1758) (Coccyzus).

Kelp Gull (melisandae)
SCI Name: Larus dominicanus melisandae
melisandae
"Melisandae is derived from the feminine first name Mélisande, itself derived from the greek melanos, which means black, and fits well the dark wing pattern of Malagasy Kelp Gulls, which is the blackest in the species" (Jiguet 2002) (subsp. Larus dominicanus).